James Graham has "dark spots" on the brain. Photo / Getty
James Graham has "dark spots" on the brain. Photo / Getty
A Kiwi coaching legend says league should consider revising the 10-metre rule in an effort to reduce head injuries.
Former Kiwis, Queensland and NRL coach Sir Graham Lowe is proposing a return to the days of a five-metre offside line for the defending team at the play-the-ball.
Lowe's comments come in the wake of news that retired England forward James Graham has "dark spots" on the brain.
Graham, aged 37, believes he suffered more than 100 concussions during a career in England and Australia, and endured some 18,000 collisions.
An MRI scan has shown up concerning issues which have been linked to repetitive trauma from Graham's league career.
Lowe says that sport in general needs to grapple with the difficult issue of brain injuries, and league has to look at "depowering" the game.
"It's not only the head contact – it's the whiplash effect of the tackles now, which are so powerful," he told Newstalk ZB.
"I'm sure eventually they'll try and look at depowering it in some way because players are getting stronger and fitter and faster, so they're going to have to depower them.
"To me an obvious way to depower the game is to back away from the 10 metres in defence and take it up to five, so you are depowering the running space of the ball carrier.
"That's one simple way that in itself would bring plenty of objections, because it allows less time for the skill factor.
"But depowering the game must be something they consider."
Former Kiwis coach Sir Graham Lowe. Photo / Photosport
The NRL increased the gap between teams to 10 metres about 30 years ago.
Whatever any changes, Lowe said it was a tough game that would always bring some element of risk.
He believes consideration could be given to removing contact at junior levels, although the attraction for young players was the enjoyment of running and tackling one another.
And while players such as Graham were now talking about their scary situations, sport needed to hear from medical people to get a fuller understanding of the situation.
"I don't think there is one solution – everyone has to be really careful with it," Lowe said.
"There are so many sporting activities where a blow or a knock or a fall to the head can cause all sorts of future consequences.
"It is alarming and confronting … but league is not marbles. It is a game with an element of risk no matter if you depower it. How you overcome that is one of the challenges for the game.
"It is the nature of sport. There is some very hard running and occasionally the head comes into contact.
"Unfortunately, with some there are consequences. I just hope that James Graham will not suffer further damage as he gets older."
Graham has been campaigning to make league safer. In England, a group of players are looking at legal action against the sport's administration alleging failure to protect them from permanent brain injuries.
